7/5/2023 0 Comments Anyek rear camera on amazonWe found the widget gallery a bit difficult to navigate, as widgets would open when we were trying to scroll past them. You can add up to 10 widgets into the gallery, but only about six will display without scrolling, depending on the size of the boxes. It makes it easy to see what's scheduled for the day ahead, and it's one of the few widgets that lets you choose from a large or small display size. The calendar can sync with your Google, Microsoft, and Apple accounts so you don't need to separately add events to the Alexa device. The Echo Show 15 makes use of half its large screen with a panel of widgets for your calendar, sticky notes, the weather, and more. That all sounds good in theory, but the lack of customization holds it back. It's meant to live in a central, accessible spot in your home so everyone in the family can leave notes or look at the day's schedule. If you don't want the Amazon Echo Show 15 on your wall, you can buy a separate stand and position it vertically or horizontally.īeyond being a mini smart TV, the Echo Show 15's core functionality is as a digital bulletin board. Voice commands aren't any better as they're not reliable, even when you know what you want: Asking for a specific episode of "Abbott Elementary" brought up a news report about a school's fundraiser. Otherwise, you have to use the on-screen remote to navigate, which is a slow way to browse. Upon interacting with the Echo Show 15, you quickly realize it would be much better with an Alexa Voice Remote, which, like the stand, you'll have to buy separately. For those convinced on a wall-mounted smart display, you'll want to take into account viewing angles, if you want children to be able to reach the touchscreen, and how the cord will look if you're not routing it through the wall. If you're not hanging it on the wall, you'll have to buy a display stand separately, which is how we ended up testing our review unit. You can mount the Echo Show 15 horizontally or vertically. Even some of the device's default nature photos display with a blurred background on either side of the image. However, not all photos can fill the full display, which spoils the effect. The white border around the display even makes the Echo Show 15 look like a traditional picture frame. The 15-inch touchscreen is plenty bright and perfect for displaying photos. While it'll never replace a primary TV in a living room, it's a nice-to-have option in the kitchen for, say, Saturday morning cartoons with the little ones. It supports the Fire TV streaming system and can play content from popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and more. With the Echo Show 15, Amazon is betting there's a market for a hybrid TV-smart display. The Echo Show 15's on-screen remote is used to navigate apps, which is a bit clunkier than a typical touchscreen. Unless you're specifically looking for a wall-mounted smart display, you may be better off with the Echo Show 8, which currently sits as our pick for the best smart display for Alexa fans. And while the widget gallery brings the device close to being a family bulletin board, customizations are excessively limited. The same could be said about its underwhelming 5-megapixel camera. But unfortunately, the display's audio is disappointing. And while you can buy a stand, that means valuable kitchen counter space occupied by a smart screen.Ĭonsiderations about size aside, the recent addition of Fire TV support is welcome. The jumbo-sized smart display stands apart from the rest of the Echo Show lineup because it's designed to be mounted on a wall - that is, if you have the wall space. In fact, it offers only a little more than smaller Echo Show devices. Part smart TV, part central home hub aimed at families, the $250 Echo Show 15 has the potential to be useful, but only for a small fraction of smart display fans. The Echo Show 15 is Amazon's biggest and most expensive smart display.
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